Directus Review 2026: Pros, Cons, Pricing & Verdict

Q: Can I Use My Own Database With Directus?

Directus allows you to self-host and use your own database, whether that be Postgres, MySQL, or others. If you go with a cloud hosting option, you will have to migrate your database to one hosted by them unless you are on the Enterprise tier.

Q: Does Directus Cloud Give You Root Database Access?

Since Directus cloud is set up on shared hosting, they are unable to give you root database access unless you are on their Enterprise offering which would place your instance into a dedicated environment.

Q: How Much Is Directus Enterprise Cloud?

Directus Enterprise Cloud starts at $15,000/yr with an annual commitment. You might be able to negotiate on the price if you do not need all enterprise features like SSO. If you'd like, you can self-host Directus instead of using the enterprise cloud for free, although if you are doing over $5M/yr in revenue, you must purchase a license to continue using Directus in a self-hosted environment.

Q: What Is Directus Build In?

The Directus CMS GUI dashboard (Data Studio) was rebuilt from the ground up 4 years ago to now be entirely built in Typescript using Node.js and Vue.js.

Review Summary

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Yes, Directus is open-source, meaning that you can self-host it on your own server, and use it for free. The license they have in place is slightly less standard, using BSL 1.1 (Business Source License) which simply means that if you're using Directus in a self-hosted environment, and you are doing over $5M/yr in revenue, then you fall into the terms of the license, meaning you must purchase a license from Directus.

That said, this is on a trust-basis. So if you are doing $5M/yr+ in revenue using Directus at a core, just go ahead and purchase a license to support their work and to do the right thing.